Sanford High School's Performing Arts Center filled with student-athletes, families, and coaches Thursday, November 13, as the school celebrated another successful fall athletic season. Athletic Director Zach Lemelin opened the Fall Athletic Recognition Night by noting the attendance and thanking the community for its support.
"I can't tell you the amount of people that would stop at any games we had and said, 'Wow, you guys have incredible facilities,' or 'Wow, your kids are really well behaved,' or 'Homecoming was such a cool experience we wish our school had,'" Lemelin shared. "That's a credit to you all as a community."
The evening began with recognition for two coaches honored by their peers as 2025 SMAA Coaches of the Year: Marti Kane for Field Hockey and Nate Smith for Cross Country. Kane's field hockey team posted a 10-3-1 regular season record, earned the No. 3 seed in the Class A South playoffs, and reached the regional semifinals. Smith's boys cross country team finished 4th at the Class A South regional and 7th at the state championships.
Forty-four student-athletes earned spots on the SMAA All Academic Team by maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 92.5 or higher. Girls soccer led the way with 12 honorees, followed by field hockey with 8 and boys cross country with 5.
"The balance of school, sports, and life is no easy task, but many of you have handled the added stress and pressure with great success," Lemelin noted.
The evening also highlighted the school's Leadership Council program, where student-athletes met weekly to develop positive leadership skills. Athletes who attended at least 70% of meetings received recognition, with special awards for those who participated across multiple seasons.
Several Spartans earned conference and state honors. Isaac Pelletier in cross country was named to the SMAA All Conference First Team and earned All State recognition. Field hockey standouts Reese Beaudoin and Hailey Payeur both achieved All State honors, while Luke Gendron was named SMAA All Conference First Team in golf. Multiple athletes earned SMAA All Conference honors across soccer, volleyball, and field hockey. (Click here for a complete list of Sanford award winners)
Coaches also presented special team awards recognizing leadership, improvement, and dedication throughout the season. Congratulations to all the student-athletes, coaches, and families who contributed to another successful fall season for Sanford Spartan Athletics.